The Many ‘Sins’ Of Lawal Daura As DSS Boss

Acting President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo on Tuesday fired the Director General of the Department of the State Security (DSS), Lawal Daura.

Daura’s sack came hours after masked operatives of the Department of State Security barricaded the national Assembly entrance, stopping lawmakers and staff from gaining entrance to the NASS complex.

Journalists were also barred from entering the complex as a result of what the DSS allegedly said is an order “from above.”

Reacting, Osinbajo described the unauthorized takeover of the NASS complex as a gross violation of constitutional order, rule of law and all accepted notions of law and order.

AgP Yemi Osinbajo has directed the termination of the appointment of the DG of the DSS, Mr. Lawal Musa Daura.

— Laolu Akande (@akandeoj) August 7, 2018

Osinbajo in a statement described the action as an “unlawful act which was done without the knowledge of the Presidency is condemnable and completely unacceptable.

Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Laolu Akande, said “By this statement, Professor Osinbajo is consequently assuring Nigerians that all persons within the law enforcement apparatus who participated in this travesty will be identified and subjected to appropriate disciplinary action.”

This is not the first time operatives of the secret police under Mr Daura has carried out “unlawful acts” without the knowledge of the Presidency.

The DSS is the primary domestic intelligence agency of Nigeria. It is primarily responsible for intelligence gathering within the country and for the protection of senior government officials, particularly the President and state governors. It is a department within the presidency and is under the control of the National Security Adviser.

1.) Late last month, officials of the DSS laid a similar siege to the entrance of the homes of Senate President Bukola Saraki and his deputy, Ike Ekweremadu.

The security operatives arrived at the homes of the Senate leaders very early to stop them from leaving their homes.

The Senate President had reacted by saying the act was a ploy to witch-hunt and blackmail opposition.

It was later alleged that the invasion was a strategy by the Executive to prevent the Senate from sitting to avoid defections from the ruling party.

About 50 federal lawmakers from both chambers of the National Assembly dumped the ruling All Progressives Congress on that day, with majority of them pitching tent with the opposition Peoples Democratic Party.

2.) In April, DSS personnel and Policemen, laid siege to the Maitama residence of the Chairman, Senate Committee on Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Senator Dino Melaye (APC, Kogi West).

The street on which Melaye’s house is situated, was condoned off, there was no vehicular movement from the beginning and end of the road for all passers- by and other residents of the area.

Similar to today’s event, the operatives allegedly said the directive to condone the senator’s residence was an order from above.

3.) Also, in November 2017, men of the DSS prevented operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission from arresting a former Director-General of the DSS, Ekpenyong Ita.

According to reports, EFCC operatives and armed policemen numbering over 50, arrived at Ekpeyong’s residence, located at 46 Mamman Nasir Street, Asokoro, Abuja, with an arrest warrant.

But to their surprise, heavily armed DSS officials, some of who were wearing masks, refused to allow the EFCC men inside.

The DSS officials simply said they were acting on “orders from above”.

Ita has been under investigation for his alleged role in the disbursement of funds meant for arms.

While a former National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki (Retd.) and other service chiefs have been arraigned, the DSS has refused to release its own officials for probe.

4.) The DSS and the EFCC have been at loggerheads for over a year which culminated in the DSS sending a report to the Senate against the confirmation of the Acting Chairman of the EFCC, Mr. Ibrahim Magu.

Magu is yet to be confirmed by the Senate and remains in acting capacity at the EFCC.

Many have accused the DSS under Daura as acting without orders from the Presidency, with some labelling the DSS as “Daura Secret Service”.

Daura, who is from the same state with President Muhammadu Buhari, was appointed to head the country’s secret police by the President in July 2015, following the resignation of Ita Ekpeyong.

Daura’s many atrocities may have caught up with him this time, as reports indicates that his sack was seen as a welcome development by majority of Nigerians, including those in the ruling APC.